Last week I had an idea to write a post about the ways I’ve been trying to prepare V, my five-year-old, for kindergarten in September. However, most of the things I’ve been doing have been tips from my mother, who was a legendary kindergarten teacher for over twenty years. I decided who better to write this post than the legend herself? Here are her best tips for getting your kids, and yourself, ready, and for surviving those first few months of school exhaustion:
Starting kindergarten is one of the great rites of passage in a child’s life. It is your child’s first brave step into the world beyond the family. Even if your child went to preschool or daycare-nothing is quite the launch as beginning elementary school. That next big shift will not come until middle school, high school and an even larger shift into the greater world.
So, how can you help?
First, take care of YOU. Grow into this new stage, and encourage your child to do the same. Once school begins, you’ll be spending more of your parenting focus and your day on parenting chores, routines, homework, and the morning and dinnertime rush. You begin a new phase of parenting (Facilitator in Chief), so try to see it as an adventure. Find your balance between excitement, dread, loss, etc. Encourage your child while celebrating the passage and at the same time, acting like it is no big deal so nothing for your child to worry about. Got to love the balancing act of motherhood!
De-stress family life, and your life, all you can. Think crockpots, Friday night pizza and movie nights, etc. Make allowances in the early weeks of school. You may find that acting out can increase for a while at home. Fatigue after school can cause even worse dinnertime craziness. Keep in mind how mentally exhausting all these new expectations are for your kindergartner. They now need to pay attention, behave and be quiet all day! Imagine yourself on a Thursday night amid a brutal work week, whew!
So, here we go. As we approach August and September—What can you do?
Right now, the backpack, lunchbox and perfect outfit all matter. Help your child to feel special and safe as these totems of big kid land do build confidence. Enjoy getting school supplies, or pretend you do. Invest in a separate school supply box for homework supplies at home. Make it fun to prepare for school.
About three weeks before school, begin your bedtime and waking up routines that you plan to use during the school year. Seek a smooth transition. Splurge on easy dinners and lunchbox prepared kid foods, all to ease the strain of school start.
Plan for routines- morning, homework, etc. Consider how you will keep track of PE day, library day, homework due dates. NOW is the time to create routines like laying out clothes, packing lunch, and preparing backpacks. You are creating NOW routines your fifth grader will incorporate with less nagging in the future.
Invest in hand sanitizer, vitamin c and fruits and vegetables, to give your kids a head start on staying healthy during the school year. Begin a ritual of hand washing when your child first gets home from school. Head off whatever shared germs you can.
Talk about school rules like getting in line, raising your hand and waiting your turn to talk, but in an offhanded way.
Finally, enjoy the ride! You are launching your precious jewel.
Thanks for all the good tips, Mom! Good luck to everyone with little ones starting kindergarten! I know I’ll need a whole damn box of kleenex when I see V step onto that school bus. If you have any other tips to add, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
🙂 Erin